With two of their regular-season heroes ailing, the New Mexico Highlands cross country teams found themselves on the outside of the nationals picture on Saturday as the NCAA Division II South Central Regional played out in Denver.

The Highlands men finished ninth with 220 team points behind champion Adams State (26), Western State (58), Colorado School of Mines (75), Colorado-Colorado Springs (118), Eastern New Mexico (174), Fort Lewis (178), West Texas A&M (211) and Metro State (216).

State Engineer Scott Verhines was one of the first speakers. He talked about the importance of regional water plans to about 100 people who turned out for Tuesday’s first-ever Northeastern New Mexico Regional Water Symposium.

Then they were all given a reality check.

The bad news came from John Longworth, chief of the Water Use & Conservation Bureau, as he spoke about the longstanding drought and what to expect this winter.

Beginning Nov. 1, through Dec. 24, shoppers who accumulate $50 in purchases across participating LVFIBA merchants are eligible to be entered into a random drawing for cash prizes. (See page C6 for details).

What’s new this year is a simultaneous campaign to challenge shoppers to “Shift Your Shopping.”